PC Matthew Blades, 37, and his colleague PC Tom Clough, 38, were killed when their marked response vehicle was struck by a car driving the wrong way down the A66 during the early hours of Saturday, 22 August. Five young men also lost their lives in the South Bank accident.
The roads around St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, on Hutton Avenue, were closed to traffic as many police officers – clearly emotional and comforting each other – from other forces travelled to Hartlepool to say goodbye to a much loved and respected colleague.
Many were wearing a patch with the thin blue line and the officers’ names and collar numbers – PC 2443 Blades and PC3234 Clough.
Standard bearers from every police force in the country lined the route as father-of-two PC Blades’ coffin was piped into the church to the emotional sound of “Amazing Grace.” The coffin was draped in the Union Jack flag and bore a floral tribute which simply said “Dad.”
Police Minister Sarah Jones attended the service on behalf of the Government.
PC Blades’ widow later paid tribute to her husband in a full statement, issued by Cleveland Police Federation, after the funeral.
She said: “There are no words powerful enough to express the heartbreak of losing my beloved best friend, my husband and father to our beautiful boys, especially in such tragic and unimaginable circumstances. The heart of our family has been taken from us and from those who loved him far too soon.
“The pain of his absence will be felt every day, but so will the love he gave, the memories he created, and the precious place he will forever hold in the hearts of his family. He may no longer be here to hold our hands, but his love will remain with them for the rest of their lives. He will be loved, remembered and missed beyond words, today, tomorrow and always.”
She went on: “He will be incredibly proud and thankful for all the support that’s being given to us as a family. We miss everything about him, but perhaps most of all, we miss his laughter, his silly jokes and the way he could always make everyone smile, even when we least expected it. He was the joker of the family, the one who brought light and laughter into every room, and life feels unbearably quiet without him.”
His widow added: “Matt’s laughter may no longer fill the room, but the memories of his humour, his love and the happiness he brought us will stay in our hearts forever.
“We will miss him more than words could ever say, and we will love him always.”
Hundreds of police and members of the public also gathered outside Kirkleatham Walled Gardens, near Redcar, a day later to pay their respects at the funeral of PC Clough. They watched in silence as four police horses led the ceremonial procession to the sounds of a lone piper.
